Ministry of Health (MoH) has acquired 30 additional dialysis machines for Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, with the intention of enhancing the facility’s service delivery and cost efficiency.
These machines, which come with consumables sufficient for one year, will be stationed at the hospital’s new Urology and Nephrology Centre of Excellence and are expected to be operational before year-end.
Mustapha Salifu, Head of Public Relations at Korle Bu, shared in an interview with the Daily Graphic that these machines were procured through the efforts of Health Minister Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye.
Unlike the current machines that require consumables to be ordered directly from manufacturers, the new equipment’s specifications allow for essential consumables to be sourced from the open market, enabling more competitive pricing.
Mr. Salifu also addressed the recent closure of the hospital’s Renal Dialysis Unit due to a shortage of consumables. He revealed that a substantial supply of these essential items has now been secured and is in the process of being delivered from Tema Port.
As a result, the unit is expected to reopen for outpatient dialysis tomorrow.
Dialysis services for inpatients resumed yesterday, with five inpatients having been treated by 2 p.m.
“The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Ghana Supply Company are providing vital support to expedite this clearance on an emergency basis to ensure that we continue to deliver top-notch care to our valued patients. We anticipate that the outpatient section of our Dialysis Centre will return to full operations by Wednesday,” Mr Salifu said.
Mr. Salifu explained that the shutdown occurred because the consumables needed for dialysis were supposed to be cleared from the port two weeks ago. However, the process was unexpectedly delayed due to procedural lapses and documentation issues on the part of the shipping line.
During this time, the hospital had to temporarily relocate some of its dialysis operations and refer certain patients to the National Cardiothoracic Centre to reduce disruption and inconvenience.
“We sincerely apologise to our patients and clients for any inconvenience this situation may have caused and wish to express gratitude for their restraint and understanding,” he said.
He extended the gratitude of the hospital to the Minister of Health, the Ministry of Finance and GRA, among others, for helping to overcome the challenge.
Reacting to the news of the reopening of the Renal Dialysis Unit, the President of the Renal Patient Association of Ghana, Baffour Kojo Ahenkorah, said it was welcome news because they did not need to seek the services of private facilities where the cost of treatment was very high.
“The cheapest we get are between GH¢600 to GH¢1,000. Your medication has not come; your injection has not come. So roughly, you need to look for about GH¢1,500 a week if you go to the private facilities.
Korle Bu charges GH¢491 per session and that is the cheapest you can get anywhere,” he explained.
Mr Ahenkorah said apart from the cheap cost, the treatment at Korle Bu was quality, explaining that it had a powerful machine, which after passing through, felt like one’s system was working well.
“The kind of services Korle Bu provides some of the private facilities cannot compare with them. That is why when the unit is shut down, we are worried,” he said.
He called on the hospital to find a lasting solution to the problem of shortage of consumables, adding that almost every day somebody had to be dialysed.